Vapor generator and mixer.



E. R. HUBER.

VAPOR GENBRATUR AND MIXER.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 2s, 1910.

1,061,382, Patented May 13, 1913.

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mi Y H MM 2% 2?/ 5y /ZMZ/y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. HUBER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK L. POHLMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VAPOR GENERATOR AND MIXER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD R. HUBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ofSt. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Generators and Mixers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vapor burners and mixers in which volatile fluids are vaporized and superheated prior to their introduction to the mixing chamber and has for its primary object to provide an improved cons'truction, combination 4 and arrangement of parts in devices of this character.

The main general object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of this character which will be adapted to maintain a steady 'generation and flow of vapor with means for effectively controlling such flow to adapt the apparatus for use with a great-er or smaller number of lamps at will, without t-he accompanying disadvantages so prevalent in devices of this character.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts by means of which the passage of the volatile matters through the device will be made as direct as possible.

A further object is to provide an improved construction b means of which the several parts are ma e more accessible for cleaning. v

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, references beinghad to the accompanyin drawings exemplifying the invention an in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectionxof Fig'. 1, taken just above the va orizer.

In evices of the character forming the subject-matter of the present invention, there have been several very serious drawbacks to be encountered, which drawbacks were due to imperfect construction and arrangement of parts 'ving rise to an intermittent and spasm ic action of the generator and the necessity of employing some external agency for governing the flow through the device. Among other diflicultles has been that of devising a construction which would at once effectively regulate the flow of the vapor while at the same time providing a constructionwhich would not be difficult to keep clean, it being one of the unavoidable accompaniments of a device of this character to require frequent cleaning to secure an efficient operation thereof.

In attaining the objects of this invention, I employ an elongated tubular charnber 1 having a straight line axis. Con nected up with one end ofthe chamber l and preferably integrally formed therewith is a tubular chamber 2, Ahaving aV straight axis at right angles to the chamber 1 and having at its lower end a funnel-shaped inletI with a contracted inlet opening 3 ccnnecting it with an outer well or receptacle etwhich is in turn placed in communication with a supply pipe 5 by means of a contracted passageway 6. An inlet valve 7 provided with a threaded portion 8 is coaxially mounted with the inlet passage 6 to move endwise into and out of closing relation thereto. The upper end 9 of the inlet chamber 2 is provided with screw threads for the reception of a cap 10 through a central perforation in which'is removably mounted the stem 12 of a beveled plug 11, said plug 11 being provided with a beveled edge to adapt it to make a fluid tight joint with the upper end of the chamber 2. The inlet well or receptacle 4 is formed in a de ending tubular projection 13 whose threaded exterior is adapted to receive a threaded cap 14 within which is removably mounted astem 15 gf a frustoconical plug 16. For the purpose of convenience in cleaning this portion of the' apparatus, the chamber 2, passageway 3 and receptacle 4 are all coaxiallyv alined so that when the caps 10 and 14 are removed together-with the plugs 11 and 16', a tubular' passageway open at both ends is provided with `the narrow passageway 3 of short extent disposed intermediately of the larger open ends thereof, a construction which makes all of the tubular passageway perfectly accessible. Furthermore, the valve opening 6 andthe threaded neck within which the portion 8 of the valve 7 is threaded, are also coaxially alined and the connections are such that when the valve 7 'and the supply pipe 5 are disconnected, the tubular passageway therethrough is open at both ends and 'has the contracted portion Gof short extent disposed adjacent the center, making these passageways quite accessible for cleaning. Furthermore, these tubular channels constructed on intersecting axes lie within the same plane and so provide means for getting at the interior of the receptacle or well 4 from four diiferent directions. This well 4 being a portion of the device which soon becomes clogged when in use, the importance of this construction will be appreciated.

As shown i'n Fig. `2 of the drawings, the elongated tubular chamber 1 is provided in the form of a hollow rib on the back or upperside of a broad liat heating plate 16, said plate 16 extending the entire distance between'the inlet chamber 2 and the valve housing 24 to be hereinafter referred to. Throughout its length, saidyheating plate projects `on either side of the tube 1 at a distance greater vthan the outer diameter of said tube. Immediately belon7 the heating plate 16 and approximately midway between the chamber 2 and valve housing 24, is disposed a central sub-burner 17 connected by pipe fittings 18 with a depending tube 19 which serves to convey vapor to a plur'ality of burner perforations 20 in the upper is provided end of the sub-burner 17. In order to provide means for starting the action of the burner 17 when the apparatus is cold, an annular well or receptacle 21 for inflammable Huid, such as alcohol,- is provided for heating the plate 16 initially. The tubular channel 1 is continued along a straight axis to project beyond the valve housing 24 and the open end of the same is closed by the truste-conical plug 22 retained in position by a threadedcap 23. The valve housing 24 with a depending tubular projection within which a threaded portion 25 of a valve rod 26 is threaded. The valve rod 26 is provided with a handle 27. Surmounting the contracted portion 28 of the valve rod, is an elongated tapered needle valve 29 which projects through a valve opening in the top of the valve housing 24. The upwardly projecting tubular portion 30 of the valve housing 24 is provided at'its upper end with exterior screw threads adapting it to be connected to the air intake tube 31. It will be noted that the valve housing 24 is thus provided with a tubular passageway extended along a straight line axis and when the'threaded cap which supports the valve rod 26, is removed, together with said valve rod and valve, a straight passageway is left entirely through the valve housing which intersects the tube 1 at right angles, again providing a readily accessible interior for cleaning purposes. Projecting upwardly through an apertured lug 32, on the upper side of the air intake tube 31,` is a\mixing tube 33 coaxial with the valve housing 24 70 and serving to center and support a vapor container 34 into which the upper end of the tube 33 projects some distance. Said tube 33 is -provided at the bottom of the container 34 with apertures 37 for returning 75 condensed portions of .the vapor, shoul theie be any, back. into the mixing tube 33 to be revaporized. The discharge outlet 35 is connected by an elbow 36 with a depending tube 19 leading to the sub-burner 17. 80 Said outlet 35 opens through the wall of the container 34 "below the upper end of the tube 33 but above the apertures 37.

The operation of my apparatus will now be readily understood, and briefly stated is g5 as follows: A little alcohol or other combustible uid burnedin the trough 21, serves to initially heat the plate 16 to start the." action of the apparatus. The admission valve 7 being retracted from the inlet' just 90 sufficiently to permit a conical film of fluid to discharge therefrom, only a small portion of such Huid is drawn through'the .passageway 3 into the inlet chamber 2. As theaction proceeds, the condition of the vapor passing through the tube 19 to the burner openings 20 gradually improves and becomes ignited, thus heating the plate 16 to a higher and higher degree. Eventually, they plate 16 and tube 1 become red hot, the chamber 2 be- 100 coming heated by conduction until the fluid becomes vaporizelL-Limmediatelyv upon its passage through the channel 3. In passing through the passage 1, the vapor becomes superheated. A little manipulation of the valves 7 and 29,v serves to perfectly control the action of the apparatus andby reason of the extended heating channels and the intense heat to which the vapor is subjected, the action of the device proceeds in an even, well-sustained manner and may be regulated to supply eitherl one or any number of burners. In various devices yof this kind, it is` common and necessary to provide' a quantity of packing within the vaporizing tubes in order to overcome the spasmodic actionV hereinbefore referred to. This, however, is obviatedby the `present invention. The action is furthermore reatly improved by the readiness with whic all of the device may be cleaned owing tothe fact that each of the tubular passages is open at both ends, and in those parts in which there'is acontracted passage, such contracted passage.` is of short extent and disposed intermediatelyl of two enlarged portions of the tubes.

What I claim is.

1. In an apparatus of the character. described, the combination with an inlet chamf 4ber and a valve chamber distant therefrom, 130

of a tubular chamber connectin said inlet chamber with said valve cham er, and a heating plate extending throughout the length of said tubular chamber, and connecting said vaporizing chamber and said valve chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with an air intake, of a valve chamber depending therefrom, a iuid inlet chamber spaced from said valve chamber, a broad flat heating plate rigidly connecting the walls of said chambers, said heating plate being provided with an integrally formed tube of relatively small diameter connecting said valve chamber to said inlet chamber, and means for heating said plate.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, an integral casting comprisin a Huid inlet chamber and a valve cham er disposed at a distance therefrom, a broad llat heating plate integrally connecting the Walls of said chambers and provided with a protuberant rib hollowed interiorly to rovide a passageway connectin said inlet chamber with said valve camber, and means for heating said plate.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a fluid inlet chamber, of a valve chamber distant therefrom, a tube of relatively small diameter in comparison to its len th connecting said chambers, the under wa 1 of said tube being provided with an inte ral heating plate conductively connecting t e walls of said chambers and projectin on each side of the outer lateral wall of sai tube a distance `approximately equal to the outside diameter of the tribe, and means for heating said heating ate.

p 5. In a-device of the character described, the combination with a vertically disposed inlet chamber, of a vertically disposed valve chamber distant therefrom, and a horizontally disposed generator chamber connecting said inlet chamber with the valve chamber; said generator chamber bein of relatively small cross section to the in et chamber and having one Wall thereof provided with a heating plate extending from said inlet chamber to the valve chamber; said heating plate being of relatively great width to the diameter f said inlet chamber.

EDWARD R. HUBER.

In presence of A. O. KNIGHT, J. B. Mmmm. 

